[ Life with Sisterlocs ]

(cont)

2010-10-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

45 months Locked

2010-10-08T15:59:00.000-07:00

Hello All!! So happy to be able to find the time to write a few lines to all of you. It's been much to long. I've been experiencing a partial empty nest syndrome since my daughter went to Canada for college two months ago. My older sister and I flew to Montreal with her to help her get settled in. While there, my daughter seemed to fit right in to the Metropolitan life that Montreal offers. I was so surprised to see how well she caught on getting around on the metro. It was clear to me that she was ready to spread her wings and fly On the other hand, I was the one suffering. What was I going to do with myself?

The plane ride home was tough for me. Prior to our departure, I promised my sister I wouldn't get all emotional. I knew this would be uncomfortable her. However, when I got to my car at the airport and began driving home, I cried and cried. It was so hard to believe how quickly she grew.

Now that she is gone, I have so much more time on my hands. My grieving is over, and I have began involving myself in activities that I haven't done in years, and connecting with people more than ever. This empty nest thing isn't so bad after awhile. Hey, I've even had a few dates (-: Can you believe that!!!!

My locks have grown so much since my last posting. Here are a few recent pictures of my hair. Love you all. Can't wait to here from you.

2010-01-12T18:56:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!!!

And Happy Three Year Locversary to me. Hard to believe how quickly time flies. I remember being unable to wait till my locks were shoulder length and volla, now they are. The journey, so far, has been great! Hair care has never been so easy. It just gets better and better. By the way I only have $2300.00 worth of debt to pay off which should be sometime next month, woo hoo!!! Log on to daveramsey.com if interested in following his steps to debt free living.

Blessings to all!!!

Checking In

2009-06-03T16:25:00.001-07:00

Hell All! Yeah, I know, I have majorly slacked on updating my blog. However, there is a good reason for this. I have been working extra days and long hours at my job. So when home, I’m too tired to do much of anything. Why am I working so hard? I’m trying to become debt free using Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover. I began the program in May of last year with 52k worth of debt. I have now completed one year and have 19k of debt left. By the end of this year I hope to be debt free except my house. Why am I so motivated to do this? First of all, I could not stand having as much outstanding debt as I had. It was like carrying around a 52 pound bag of rocks. Now I carry around a 19 pound bag of rocks (-: But it’s getting lighter every month. Also I’m not getting any younger so I must plan for my future, and have the available cash flow to do so. In addition, my 17 year old will graduate from high school next year, and is planning to go off to college. I want to be able to assist her as much as I possibly can. I just pray that the Lord keeps me in good health, and that I have no major setbacks.

How do you like the look of my locks?? I’m still very happy with them. I continue to retighten them myself, but occasionally visit Shannon when I’m able to splurge a little. I was checking out Helga’s blog earlier, and I have to get to Sally’s to get that doughnut hairpiece to create a pretty bun. I’ll post a picture when I do it.

Hope everyone is doing great, I plan to visit more blogs and catch up on what everyone is doing.

Blessings to all my Sisterlock sistas.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T11:03:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has a blessed holiday.

21 Months

2008-10-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

Have I told you lately I'm still loving my sister locks? Guess not. It's been a while since I've blogged. Good news though, I've finally bought another camera. So I'm hoping to update with more regularity. The pictures shown were taken this past weekend. The style was achieved by applying setting lotion (I used "Jamaican Mango& Lime Lock & Styling Lotion"), parting the locks in about 9 longitudinal sections, and flat twisting each section from top to bottom. The next morning I separated the twist and finger styled.

So, to answer my original question...Yes, I'm still loving my sister locks.

God Bless.

Eighteen Months Strong

2008-07-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

I have now had sister locks for eighteen months. That is, as of July 12. The posted pictures reflect my sister locks at seventeen months; taken at Helga’s graduation ceremony/party last month. You see, I am still without a camera so taking random pictures is difficult.

I am observing the process of my locks, I have to agree with Jen, “It gets better and better.” About 70% of t locks have thickened two or three times their original size. In addition I’m finding myself needing to retighten sooner than six weeks. From the last six I’ve had to retighten within three to four weeks.

I am still so happy about making a decision to get sister locks, and for Helga leading the way. Her bravery encouraged my other sister and I to get them done.

Tag! I'm it.

2008-05-04T14:59:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged again! Yes it is true. Here we go!

The Rules:
-----------------------
1. link to the person that tagged you,

2. post the rules on your blog

3. share seven non-important things about yourself

4. tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs

5. let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog
------------------------

1) I've been a single mom for 10 years. My kids are teenagers, ages 13 and 16 years old.

2) Our family pets are two Netherland Dwarf rabbits named Ayuki and Gir. We were originally told that Ayuki (Ayumi) was a female and Gir was a male. Recently we learned that Ayuki was a male too. Too funny!! I have to switch from saying "Come here pretty girl," to "Come here cutesy boy,", and I still forget.

3) I love sweet treats, especially chocolate. Unfortunately, this habit is causing swelling around my waist line...Aagh!

4) I enjoy learning/reading about history. I have a special interest in the events that surrounded World War 2. Going several times to Germany I have visited several historical sites related to that period of time.

5) I love listening to politics. I guess you could say that I am a political junkie.

6) I have a fear of swimming in the deep end of a pool. I want to get over this fear because I'd love to take up a water sport. Any suggestions?

7) I'm passionate about the work I do as an Advice nurse. Every work day before I take my first call I pray that I will be a good listener, have a spirit of empathy, and that the caller is impacted through my encounter with them.

Disneyland!

2008-04-03T17:14:00.001-07:00

During the spring break visit with my family,thirteen of us caravaned to Disneyland. It was special and exciting for all of us to share this trip together, which is not so easy with the 4th sister (and her family) residing in Germany. Also,my niece, nephew, and brother-in-law from Germany were going for the first time.

Anyway,when we arrived there were lots and lots of people, which meant long waits in line, especially for the popular rides. Because of the vast age differences between our group, we alternated between getting on "kiddie" rides and "bigger kids" rides. The favorite "big kid" ride among the group was "Star Tours". When they chose to ride it again,I passed. The first time around left me feeling queasy afterward.

While in line to board "The Pirates Of The Caribbean," I was sure the younger ones would be scarred out of their minds. I guess I was reliving my own childhood experience on this ride. I was five years old and cried the whole time. Those pirates looked so real. Well, to my amazement,my nieces and younger nephew didn't scare a bit. In fact, they were all for wanting to ride it again. Geesh!!!

My favorite event was the Fantasia water show. Ah, that was soooo awesome, spectacular, moving. The best part of the show was the entrance of Peter Pan's ship all lit up, while Peter Pan and Hook dueled near the top of the ship.

As much fun as we had, its ending was a must. We left with full heart, exhausted bodies, and lasting memories. Knowing my sister Helga, she is probably already planning the next family gathering. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Spring Break!

2008-03-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

During this Spring break my kids and I drove down to the Central Coast for a family gathering. We would all meet at my parents house to see my sister and her family visiting from Germany, and just hang out and have a good time. Whenever we come together, my dad and brother-in-law like to fire up the grill. One day they grilled leg of lamb, and another day they grilled fish and vegetables. Of course there were no leftovers.

Us women like to sit and talk talk talk and laugh laugh laugh. While talking there is always someone in somebodies head. This time it was my daughter. She let my oldest sister twist her hair. It looked great. And, of course, all three sister locked sisters enjoyed being in each others hair too. To each of us, it seems that the others' hair was growing, but out own was not! Funny how that is. Still, we all agree that getting sisterlocks was the best hair decision we could have made. Hair care has never been so easy.

Just Checkin' In

2008-03-08T17:56:00.000-08:00

Hey all. I sure miss being able to post. It's been much more difficult now that my daughter is doing her studies at home and needing the computer to do her writing assignments and more. Not only that, she is taking a class at the community college and yours truly has to tag along and wait for her while she is in class. I hope I don't sound as though I'm complaining. In fact, I'm very pleased that we made the decision for her to do her studies this way. It has proved to be advantageous for her in that she can work at her own pace,and get more one-on-one time with her instructor. Also,her grades are better than ever. However,I do miss not being able to check on all my blogging buddies as much as I would like.

So how are my locks? They are doing just fine. I washed my babies today and let them dry freestyle. When I'm home or not doing anything special, this is the style of choice. When I'm working I'll pin set my locks the night before. In the morning I remove the pins and finger my locks into a style. I find that pin setting is the most comfortable for sleeping. Also, I like that there is no tension on my locks and the curls I get from pin setting look quite nice.

I wish I had some updated pictures for you to see, but I don't. hopefully next time. Hope everyone has a blessed day. I'll try to post again real soon with some updated pictures.

Peace

One Year and Counting

2008-01-16T12:48:00.000-08:00

Week 1:
What a difference a year makes. Still so very happy about my decision to get sister locks.

One year

Its a very, furry, christmas!

2007-12-19T18:49:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe we are near the end of another year. It went too fast, as have all the years since my 30th birthday. Hmmm....tis life. I sure wish time could slow down a little so there'd be more time to do all those things I've been meaning to do!

Two little furry creatures that have caused life to slow a little are Ayumi and Gir, our two little Netherland Dwarf Bunnies. Who would have thought that these two little cuties could transform our home. They are very smart and independent. Because they're now litter box trained, they have full house privileges. My kids love em and help out a lo with their care.

As for my locks, they're doing just fine. They look so much better since the grooming. I still love my sister locks!

From My Home to Yours,
Have a Very Merry Christmas

Love, Aya

Groom Me

2007-12-01T21:23:00.000-08:00

I went to see Shannon a few days ago for a retightening session. As soon as I sat down, I began telling her about my dissatisfaction with the current state of my locks. My freestyle, the style I wear the most, was looking a bit too free. They didn’t hang as before. There were more than a few locks that looked rather scraggly. Also a good number of locks had balls (big and small) on the ends that looked rather distasteful.
As I spoke, Shannon looked through my locks and suggested a grooming. A grooming? Yeah, its time for a grooming. After explaining what a grooming was, and showing me before and after pictures of past groomings she had done, I quickly agreed.
I was very pleased with the results. The overall look of my locks were so much better. We took some before and after pictures but the before pictures didn’t turn out so well. No, I haven’t purchased a new camera. The one I used was a Kodak disposable one. Hope you’re able to get somewhat of an idea of the grooming looks. I don’t think the quality of the pictures are all that great.

That Darn Camera!!!!!!!

2007-11-16T20:35:00.000-08:00

I've made several attempts to post pictures but have been unsuccessful. My camera won't download the pictures I've taken. I suspect it is the USB cable or something within the camera. I had a problem before with this camera and was sent a new camera from the company. With this being the second time I've had trouble with this model, I don't think I'll send this one back to the company for round three. I would only be delaying the inevitble: a need for a new and better camera. When that happens, hopefully soon, I will post pictures of my locks.

Anyway, I celebrated 10 months of sisterlocks four days ago. For the most part, they are coming along fine. I'm even beginning to notice a little more length. However, the growth rate is uneven in different sections, making my freestyle not as uniform as before. I guess this is part of the "teenage" phase.

I was hoping by now that each lock would be fairly thick and uniform in diameter due to the locking process. A majority of them are, but quite a few are not, for they look thick part of the way down the length of the lock, then look very thin the rest of the way. Others are thin part of the way down and then thick the rest of the way down. I sure hope the thin areas thicken up. A part of me fears that the thin sections will break off. Has anyone else experienced this? Your input would be great.

All in all, still loving my locks. I can't even imagine the alternative.

Peace.

Sisterloc Retightening Class

2007-10-18T19:24:00.000-07:00

Hello All! My computer has been out of commission for awhile, but now I am back in the mix. Not only that, life has thrown a few curve balls my way causing me to direct my attention to other pressing matters. Anyway, I’m so glad my computer is working, and I can update you all on the latest with my locks…..

On September 29th I took the Sisterlock retightening class. Shannon, my loctician agreed to travel with me to Oakland, to my sister’s house, to teach us how to retighten our hair. Helga was in town on business and joined us too.

During the class you’re taught to use two types of hooks; the long hook and the short hook. We started our learning to use the long hook. I was stressed out trying to use that darn long hook. I even ruined one of my locks trying to use it, and had to have Shannon redo the lock. When we learned the technique of using the short hook, my confidence returned some for it was much easier to use. However. I did not like the way I had to manipulate the short lock tool to attach it to my lock.

It seemed to me that Lexus Prefect ( the eldest sis) seemed the most comfortable tightening her hair while me and Helga were not so sure.

Though once home, and with some practice, I feel I am getting the hang of it. I will see tomorrow when I go and see Shannon for my retightening. Once she gives the ok on my work, I hope to do more of it on my own.

Although I wasn’t that pleased to have to pay $250.00, I’m glad I took the class for I do feel more empowered. Also, Shannon did a very good job teaching us.

I am now nine months locked, but decided to wait to post pictures till after my retightening. I’ll post them soon. Blessings.

Here's a picture of one of our new bunnies, Ayu Starr! (Named by my daughter)

8 months strong

2007-09-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo, I made it to 8 months and still lovin’ dem locks. Since my 6 month locversary, not much obvious change has occurred, but I have noticed more subtle changes. For instance, the challenge section of my hair (locks around the crown), is slowly but surely thickening and lengthening. It’s as if I am having to grow all new hair in that section in order for my hair to have strong enough locks that wont break off. Another subtle change is that I have noticed fewer balls replaced by more sealed ends. I call that progress.

This past week, following my last retightening session, my daughter took quite a few pictures of the latest lock styles I’ve been wearing. This was a fun mother-daughter project. She even prepped her “old school” mom for some of the shots. Teenagers!!!

The brown hair-tie, one of two, was a gift from Helga brought back from Norway. It is my favorite, so far, for it is sleek, stylish and versatile.

This is the other new hair-tie from Helga. I’m not sure if I ever told her that orange was my favorite color. The pink hat…..my daughter’s idea!!

Oh and the classic “freestyle and soft spike curls“………….

The “messy ponytail” has now become my favorite hairstyle. It is so easy to do, and your locks need not be long enough to fit into a ponytail. That is the beauty of it, for you want it to look “messy”. Wearing it with a hair-tie/band looks even cuter.

Oh and here is the “Undercover Ninja Warrior Photographer”. She poised and ready to take more pictures at her mother’s request (-: What a cutie!!!

Do you have a favorite? Hope you all enjoy the pictures and everyone have blessed and wonderful day!
Aya.

A Hair Salon Tale

2007-09-06T09:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I went to see Shannon, at her new location for my retightening session. Now Shannon is no longer at KINKS, for the shop no longer exists, sad to say. A very long and somewhat complicated story. Anyway, Shannon now works out of a shop where all the clients come in for chemical treatments, and hairweaves. I take my hat off to Shannon for doing this because she views this new working condition as an opportunity to introduce and familiarize those clients to sisterlocks and traditional locks. Fos Shannon does both sisterlocks and traditional locks.

So while I was there, I had three interesting encounters. The first was one of Shannon's already locked clients who was considering starting all over in order to get sisterlocks. All the palm rolling/twisting on her thin hair texture was becoming difficult on her scalp as her hair grew. Shannon felt that sisterlocks would be better on her scalp, etc. So when she saw me, she became very excited and was asking questions like, do you like them, is it easy to care for, how long did it take to install? I was happy to answer her questions,and sing the praises of sisterlocks. And, of course, she couldn't help herself but to have her hands all in my head. Since she was already a locked sister, that didn't bother me too much. I think she has now decided to get sisterlocks. I think they will look sooo cute on her.

The second encounter was from a client of another hairdresser. She walked in with a looooooooong black hairweave with gold colored highlights that reached to her middle to lower back. I must admit that it looked quite nice. When she walked in, she went straight to the mirror admiring herself and flinging back "her" hair. You can just imaging what I'm thinking. I could feel Shannon's thoughts without her saying a word. Next, she sat down in her hairdresser's chair waiting for her to arrive. That is when she noticed me and Shannon. She just stared, and stared and......It felt kind of awkard at first, almost as if some kind of self reality set in. When her hairdresser arrived and made a nice comment about my hair, the hairweaved client shook her head in agreement. Ok, I'll take that. Hey, Maybe, just maybe... you never know. Planting seeds are a good thing.

The third encounter was one of the other hairdresser's. She was wearing an obvious wine colored weave. She asked if I were wearing sisterlocks. I responded. She rendered a positive compliment and said that whenever she sees someone with sisterlocks, she considers it for a minute, but only a minute. We laughed. I said to her, when you are ready, nothing will be able to stop you. Also, I said to her "you wont regret it. Making the change is hard for many. Even hairdressers.

I think Shannon is on to something with working out of this shop. I figure if encounters like this keep up, she may run the other hairdressers out of business (-:

I am coming up on 8 months of sisterlocks. Hope to post pictures on my next posting. Blessings to you all!!!!!!

Joe's Crab Shack

2007-08-26T14:57:00.000-07:00

♪♫ “Joes crab shack is a little old place where we can get together, crab shack baby…♫♪ The good old B-52’s. I liked that song. Well Joe’s Crab is where us Northern Cal Gal’s got together for another time of food, fun, and fellowship. It was located in Old Sacramento.
Nor cal Sister lock Gathering, August 2007
It was my intention to take a picture of my meal, but by the time I was served, I was sooooo hungry hat I devoured half my meal before remembering to take a picture. Sorry! But I did get a picture of my half eaten plate. The “shrimp trio” was quite tasty. It was pretty much the same group who met at the last gathering, but however there was a new face, Miriam, my co worker and friend. She was the sister lock baby in the group, having her for nearly 3 months. I’d like to think I had hand in helping her come to her decision to get sister locks for she really liked mine. Perhaps, perhaps not, I’m just glad that she did. looks great!
Alright, I digressed a little. It was so much fun seeing everyone again, and to see how each others locks had developed over the months. I was very impressed with Chocolata’s curls.
She said she used “wrap-a-lock” curlers to get her style. Belinda’s locks had really grown, and Gigirl had been cutting off her permed ends. My sister, Lexxus Prefect, well what can I say?, her locks are always looking good, but I did notice that her new growth is double the size of her initial locks. Oh, by the way, Lexxus Prefect has finally gotten her blog up and going, so give her a welcome. Just click on the link on the left hand side of my blog.

Ok, ok back to the gathering. To sum it up, it was a success. For me, just connecting and sharing our lives, our hair stories, and whatever else means a lot to me. I am a people person. I’m told our next gathering will be in December, cant wait!

Home again and back.

2007-08-19T16:04:00.000-07:00

Hello All. I've recentally returned from the Central Coast where my parents reside. My kids and I took a 7 hour car ride to visit them two weeks ago. Helga and my oldest sister drove along too. I always like going home (my parents home) because I get a little spoiled. My father greeted us while doing what he does best- BBQ'n. He makes the best BBQ ribs. My mother is always good for having her homemade chocolate chip cookies ready for my son Justin. Not only that, two of my younger nieces were already there and were so happy to have a few more aunts and cousins to socialize with.

This visit home was great. The sad part is that I was so busy, I barely took pictures. Here are a few that turned out pretty good. (Pismo Beach)

(Sister Carol, Best Friend Pam, Daughter)
Helga and I spent time in each other's locks. Too fun! She even taught me some new styling options. I'm now 7 months locked, and happy to say that my locks are getting stronger. I love my sister locks.

Peace

My Birthday Dinner

2007-07-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

This weekend I celebrated my forty-somethingish birthday. The hightlight of the weekend was my visit to La Provence restaurant. This restaurant is a 4**** restaurant, according to the Sacramento Bee, and was voted best French restaurant by the California Restaurant Association. We were not disappointed. We were seated outside on the terrace and were entertained by two musicians, one on the bass cello, and the other on the guitar. They played various sorts of music in a jazz-like style. oh, and the food....it was fabulous, the best, taste bud arousing. We were sampling foods of of each others plates. The mmmm's were nonstop. The ambience was second to none. I was having such a great time eating and conversing that I forgot to take pictures of the food to share with all of you. So sorry, but do go there if you are ever in the area. It is located in West Roseville (about 15 minutes north of Sacramento). You can check out their website at http://www.laprovenceroseville.com.

I've posted pictures of me, my sister, and a few friends enjoying ourselves at La Provence. Oh, and have I told you recently how much I love my sisterlocks? They held up well last night.

6 Month Locversary

2007-07-12T17:39:00.000-07:00

Today I am celebrating 6 months with sisterlocs. Woohoo! In addition, today I had my hair retightened. This time it was done by Shannon, and she did a fantastic job. She also reassured me about the breaking situation and gave me some hair tips. I was quite pleased at the end of our session which took 3 1/2 hours. Not bad for all these locks I have.

Here are some pictures taken after the retightening session. The top part is kind of scaply, but I'm hoping for that to fill in our overtime. I'm told the roots are strong.

P.S My sister Helga, is back into the blogging mix and would love to recieve a little love.

Blessings to you all

The Blues Part 2

2007-07-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

Ok.....so I went through my hair looking for those 1-2" broken locks. I counted 16 of them. There may be a few I missed. Am I compulsive or what? lol!!! I can also see a few that will meet the same fate as the other 16. My oldest sister, who also has sisterlocks, says I am "outlandishly trippin". Geesh sis, ouch(-: However, she did break some things down to me about damaged hair and the locking process. She told me that those damaged ends will have to come off anyway and that I should slowly trim them off. She also said that those damaged ends will not lock. Good point sis. I will mention this at my 6 month retightening coming up: that is, to see if it is safe to trim my ends now. I guess this is another good reason to make sure the hair is well trimmed before installation. I'll have to post a picture of my sister's locks in a future posting, for her process has been rather smooth. She did a lot of the right thing I didn't do before installation. I just wanted to get mine in yesterday.

So......I have decide that I'm going to embrace those 1-2" broken locks and be at peace with them and myself. When I think about it, those ump-teen locks that are missing are not that noticeable with the right parting of the hair, since most of the breakage occurred around the crown and top of my hair. I just can't imagine the alternative if not sisterlocks. Forward march.

Thanks Goodnaps, Chosen Vessel, Muslimalocs,Cocoanaps, and N'drea for your advice and encouragement. I really helped.

Still in love with my sisterlocks (broken locks and all).

My Sister locks Blues

2007-06-29T17:50:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah, blue is what I am. For the past several weeks I've been a little down about my locks. In fact, last night I awakened in a panic. I was dreaming that I woke up and found hundreds of broken locks on my pillow.
I’m sure that dream was a result of a problem I am dealing with in my waking life: thinning and breaking locks. It usually begins thinning midway up the lock. At that point, its a matter of time before it breaks off or is taken off by Akilah. Grrrr. I get so frustrated, and feel as if my lock progress is going backward. I have between 570-585 locks. They measure 3. inches long (unstretched) around the crown, and 4-5 inches everywhere else. Then, of course, I now have several 1 inch length locks as a result of the breakage.
I have to admit, though, that my hair was not in the best condition before my locks were installed. Because of my disdain for Beauticians, it had been well over 3 years since I had a professional trim or a really good condition, the type you can only get at the salon. Also, I had heat damage from all the blow drying.
On a more positive note, the now 1 inch locks appear uniform in diameter an seem to be stronger. I guess I will have to be even more patient and ride this out. Furthermore I've noticed that my locks appear shorter than before. My younger sister, aka Helga says this is normal and part of the shrinkage process. I sure hope so.
I could really use some love, encouragement, and advice. I've been too down to even post a picture of myself. I will next time. Peace.

Mrs.California/USA

2007-06-20T14:06:00.001-07:00

To tell the truth, I had no idea there was a "Mrs" California Pageant. Not only that, Tracie Stafford, 2007 pageant winner, is the first African American to win in Califonia during the pageants 21 year history. This July she will participate in the Mrs United States Pageant. If she is successful, she will be the first African American and the first woman over 40 to wear the United States crown. She will also be the first African American to hold a major Mrs. Crown at the national level.

I learned of Tracie during my last salon visit to KINKS. I was told she had recently visited there. No, she wasn't there getting locks or sisterlocks installed, although I hear from Akilah that she doesn't chemically alter her hair. She's a press and curl gal(-:

Tracie has many lists of accomplishments. The one that touched me most is her work in inspiring the underpriviledged and domestic violence victims to reclaim their power. She,like me, is also a domestic violence survivor. Her personal story is quite inspiring.

To look for updates on Tracie's reign go to http://www.mrscaliforniaunitedstates.com Or you can write to Tracie at cwhite@exceptional-events.com

Peace.

Addendum to "I've Been Tagged

2007-06-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

Oh dear, I wa suppose to tag 7 people after being tagged. Ok, here are the 7 people I have tagged.....

1. Linda
2. Valencia Jazz
3. Golden
4. Onyxcherry
5. Cluizel
6. Shawna
7. Sonia-Sogo

Please view their blogs.

I've Been Tagged!

2007-06-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

Ok, here are seven things about me that you may or may not know...

1) I am the 3rd born of 5 girls, and the 3rd of 3 sisters to get sisterlocks.

2) I'm a single mother of a 15 year old daughter , Brittani, and a 12 1/2 year old son, Justin. I've been divorced from their father for 9 1/2 years.

3) I've worked as a registered nurse for nearly 17 years, mostly in Labor and Delivery. Currently I work as An advice Nurse for the call-center at Kaiser Permanente .

4) I am passionate about people suffering from anxiety and depression. Those callers get extra special treatment and attention from me. There is a personal satisfaction in advising them and accessing care for them.

5) I bought my first home three years ago, its a 3 bedroom, 2 bath Beazer home. The backyard is quite large and was professionally landscaped four months ago.

6) I love to sing, and consider it a gift from the Almighty. When an oppurtunity to sing presents, it is usually for a church event.

7) My favorite kind of food is Thai.

More Than A Natural Hair Salon.

2007-06-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

One thing I love about visiting KINKS natural hair salon, is that there is always something happening. Akilah, owner and loctician, not only wanted her shop to be a natural hair care salon, but to offer a wide range of various services and opportunities to the community. For instance. I remember going there one weekend to have my locks serviced. When I opened the door, I was hit with a mind altering aroma of a Jamaican brotha' cooking food from his native country. I couldn't resist, and purchased a plate from him. OMG!!! It was soooo good!!!!! And, he was cute, cute, cute. Did I say he was cute? Darn I forgot to take his picture (-: At the same time there was an art exhibit on display in another section of the three story Victorian building. The artist, Marshall Bailey, had enough African art to fill two rooms with all of his creations. Also, I learned that he is a professional photographer( Marshall Bailey Photography # 916-613-0099), if interested in his services. I was quite impressed with his work. Also, quite friendly. I'm considering soliciting his services to take pictures of my kids and me.
On a different visit, there were various vendors selling Afican jewelry, clothing, crafts, etc. There were even several people offering massages and various types of body wraps. I purchased some very cute African styled earrings. I wear them often.

I am told that there will be a sisterlock retightening class offereded in July at the salon. It is suppose to be taught by Shannon. I will have to check with Akilah to see if it is still happening. I will post it on the "lock it up" web site and here once I confirm the date.
I'm sure there are a lot more services offered but I don't want to be too wordy. If you are ever in Sacramento, stop by and tell Akilah "Aya" sent you (-:

It's All A Process

2007-05-18T18:17:00.000-07:00

I went to my retightening session on Wednesday. I walked in concerned about the status of several locks that looked either too thin, or ununiformed. Akilah reassurred me that most areas were progressing fine, and the areas of concern were fixable. She went to work on me. When it was done, it looked quite good. She joined the very thin locks and retightened at the roots. She also explained how the locking process works and to be patient with the process. However, we are both aware of a few locks on the top of my head that are a little troubled. The roots are growing in much thicker that the locked hair giving those locks a "hanging by a thread" appearance. Actually,those few concerned me the most. I'm afraid of losing the whole lock. I was reassusred that this would come together too. Ok, no more stressing........I'll enjoy the ride!!!!!!!!!!

Freestylin' It!!

2007-05-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

I usually wash and set my hair a day or two before I get it retightened. This has served me well in helping to prevent slippage (I used to wash after retightening). Anywho, this time after going through the routine of braiding, banding and washing, I allowed the braided bands to stay in place for a little over an hour. Afterward, I unbraided each section and separated each lock. I noticed after separating the locks that my hair didn't shrink as much. However, my hair was still wet so I let it hang to dry for several more hours. When it was about 80% dry, I pulled up my hair in a ponytail, and went out to run some errands. About two hours later, I took out the ponytail, and noticed the locks hung with less shrinkage. How cool is that? Talk about hair freedom!!! Free, free, free!!!!!!!!!

On a sadder note, I do have some problem areas with my locks. Oh, I love em still, but I know there are quite a few locks that will have to be joined. Some are just too thin, or have weakened. I'm not sure which is the case. Anyway, say a prayer for me. I go for my retightening tomorrow and will update on my lock dilema.

2007-05-06T17:48:00.001-07:00

Three Sisterlocked Sisters, Together Again

2007-05-06T16:57:00.000-07:00

We just can't get enough of each other. What can I say we are each other's best friends, including the two sisters not pictured. So the clan arrived Saturday afternoon, and left the next day. We were kept busy by puzzles, video games, crating (making wind chimes), movies, and just plain ole talking. So what do you think the three of us talked about the most? Yeah, yeah, our HAIR! Btw, I'm 16 weeks locked now.

2007-04-22T22:36:00.001-07:00

April 21, 2007 Northern CA SL Gathering!

2007-04-22T22:30:00.000-07:00

Hi All:
If you live in Northern Cal and missed the get-together yesterday, you missed out on a great time. First of all, kudos to GIGirl, organizer of the event. Her hard work paid off. Actually this was a first for me, and im really glad I went. We met in Oakland at a Puerto Rican restaurant named Sotritos. You needed to come hungry because they feed you alot. The food was quite good. I met some very beautiful, enlighted, and well spoken women. We all had alot to talk about of course, we all had one thing in common, out sisterlocks. No matter what stage in the locking process everyone's hair looked great. It was obvious that each of us were proud of our hair.
Having my two sister's there was an extra special treat for me. My oldest sister Dee hapened to meet up with her old college friend that she hadn't seen in 10 years. It was quite moving to see their suprise reunion. I arrived home that evening with my heart full of glee! I look forward to our next gathering.

Whats goin' on?

2007-04-17T21:25:00.000-07:00

Greetings All

What an interesting month this has been so far. On March 3, I met with GiGirl for the first time. We had lunch at a Chinese restaurant in Yuba City. We had much to talk about, including our SL journey. We will even carpool together to the Upcoming Northern California sister lock gathering. What an enjoyable day it was.
The next day I went to Akilah for my ret-ightening session, 12 weeks and counting. I'm still getting slippage but not as much.The following week was family court mediation...again! The details are too depressing, but we got through it. Praise the lord.
After that, the Imus controversy, and today the Virgina Tech University shooting. My goodness,are we in the last days or what? Our country is in need of some serious prayer.
Peace and Love to you.

Me with GiGirl

-Hair, Hair, and more hair!-

2007-03-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

Hey S.L Sista's. Today I am 11 weeks locked and still quite satisfied with the process. Last week at my retightening seson, Akilah, my loctitian told me that quite a few areas have already locked. Horray ^_^

This past weekend, my daughter turned 15. My sister and I took her and several of her friends to San Francisco. While there, the weather turned grey with thick, heavy, and windy mist. No problem, my sisterlocks held up just fine. I just finished reading "Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America." It was written in 2001, not so new, but it sure was insightful. As a people with our "hair thang" we've come a long way, but much work still needs to be done. Has anyone else read the book or have any other good books to suggest on this subject?

More Happy Days

2007-03-14T16:21:00.000-07:00

On my last posting I mentioned about how I got together with friends and family in the bay area. Well, here are more happy moments. My sister's and I got together to take out my youngest sister, aka "Helga", out for her thirty something year old birthday. Boy did we have fun!

We went to the "Havana" a Cuban restaurant in the Walnut Creek area. Can you spot Helga? I was so impressed and encouraged to see how her locks had matured. She has had her's for almost 9 months. At first, she was so concerned about the thinness of her hair, but now has thickened up nicely. The three girls in the pictures are my nieces, and my son is sitting next to me. The lady in the back on the left side is my second oldest sister, Carol. We are working on her to get sisterlocks (-: The food was great, and I couldn't keep still hearing the Cuban music playing in the background. Great atmosophere.

(carol, ashley. and alyssa ("tweety"). This is my daughter Brittani. She was getting

her hair braided during the festivities. Any

hints on how I can get her to get sl's?

Oh Happy Day!

2007-03-12T21:59:00.000-07:00

Hey All. What a beautiful weekend it was. My kids and I went to the Bay area to visit family and friends. While there I visited a dear nursing school friend, Soon Hee. We hadn't seen each other for about a year, so it was so good to connect and get caught up on all the hap's. We both graduated
from San Jose State University in 1990.

We both have worked in maternal child health for most of our nursing career. Oh, and by the way, she liked my new do. So now I am 10 weeks locked up. Still so very happy about the whole thing. I am noticing that a few of mylocks have a mind of their own. I suppose that is part of the process. My beautician tried the braid out style, and I really like it.

A Joyful Journey

2007-02-10T20:36:00.000-08:00

Greetings Everyone:

(Akilah and Me)

I am now 4 weeks in to my sisterlock journey, and it has been great. In fact two women at work have vowed that they will follow suit. The daily upkeep of it has been so easy. In the morning I get up, take off my satin scarf, and use my fingers to create the style I want.

I wont take credit for the entire upkeep yet. The Natural Hair Care salon (KINKS International) I go to cares for your sisterlocks for the first 3 months. The locks are washed and set every 2 weeks (including fixing any slipped locs) and they retighten the locks every 4 weeks. At the end of 3 months, return visits every 6 to 8 weeks are needed to retighten the new growth.

(The back of my head, also Loctician Shannon far right corner)

I went for my first retightening session2 days ago. It took Akilah (my loctician)only 2 hours

to complete (she's fast :-) ). Akilah says that my

locks ars coming along just fine although I am not locked yet. Also I did have some slippage, which I understand is quite normal for this stage. Most of mine was at the crowm of my hair where the texture is softer and straighter than the rest of my hair.

At the end of retightening Akilah set my hair on perm rods and on put me under the dryer.
I must say I was quite pleased. I just love it.

If you know anyone interested in getting sisterlocks and lives near or aroud the Sacramento area, I would recommend KINKS International. All of the stylists are Sisterlock ceritfied,do quality work and can style your locks leaving you extra beautiful when you leave the shop. Akilah is the owner and Loctician Guide. You may contact me for any questions or information. Have a Blessed Day.

[My hair history..] Entry 1.

2007-01-28T18:48:00.000-08:00

Hey all, and "Happy New Year!"
So far my New Year has gotten off to a great start, Why?.. Well, because on January 12, 2007 @ 1:01 am, yes am, my last sister loc was done. Total time to complete was 20 hours done over 3 consecutive sittings. After she (the hair dresser) removed the perm rods once done under the dryer, I cheered and danced while looking at myself in the mirror. I thought finally after two years of contemplating doing sisterlocs my decision had come to full fruition. It looked beautiful, I looked beautiful, and best of all, it was all mine.
My natural hair journey began about 11 years ago. I grew increasingly frustrated over the whole chemical hair experience. As I look back, its hard to believe what I put myself through to have "straight" hair...
1) Sitting in the beauty shop till 5pm even though my appointment was at noon.
2) Forgetting to not scratch or comb my scalp the day before applying the chemicals, only to end up with a burning scalp that lasted several days after the retouch.
3) Slowly watching my hair thin, but still putting those chemical son my hair because I was too ashamed of my own hair and didn’t know how to take care of it.
To grow out of my premed hair I wore braid extensions, and continued to cut off the permed hair until it was all natural, I was free of the "creamy crack"
At first I'd just press my own hair, and at the other times I'd just have my best friend braid my hair using synthetic extensions. I still didn’t know how to style my natural apart from pressing and braiding.
After my divorce in 1999 I began to experiment more with my hair. I learned how to do the two strand twist. It took some time to perfect it, but I was very happy with it when I did. People would stop me and ask if I was sporting locs.
So now my repertoire of hair styles had grown. I could press, and wear different twist styles. The styles were all great and gave me much more freedom (that is except pressing) but there were still the cumbersome task of removing the twists every 2-3 weeks, or every 10 weeks if braids, and then do it all over again. I desired to have ultimate freedom with my hair...No pressing combs, no curling irons, no fear of moisture. I wanted 'Freedom hair"
That’s what I got with sister locs.

(Day after locs)
'(day before my locs started)